Key Features
- Military style
- Bumper mechanism, first automatic winder, Swiss made, 1940s to 1950s, very sophisticated for its time
- Seconds subdial
- Natural patina
This military style Revue ‘Bumper’ houses a very interesting and historically significant movement. The bumper automatic winding mechanism was one of the first automatic movements to feature in any wristwatch. Instead of the rotor based automatic movements that we know today, which use gravity to turn the rotor around, the bumper consists of a hammer that bounces between two spring loaded shock absorbers that would wind the watch as you move your wrist. There is a distinct haptic feedback you’ll notice with this watch on your wrist, as you both hear and feel it bump back and forth. Bumper movements were only in production between the 1940s and early 1950s, a very sophisticated design for its time.
The watch has a lovely patina on the dial that many military watch brands, such as Longines, have been hard at work trying to imitate for their reissue models. It features alternating Arabic numerals and round indices, and has a cool seconds subdial above the 6 position. The solid stainless steel case and acrylic crystal are in great condition, and the movement runs perfectly with a 35+ hr power reserve. The old radium lume paint on the dial has been replaced with a safe, modern non-radium lume, aged slightly to give it a vintage look.
About Revue Thommen
Revue Thommen, originally called The Waldenburg Watch Manufacturing Company, was bought by Gedeon Thommen 10 years after it was established in 1853 in Waldenburg, Northwest Switzerland. The company was relatively unsuccessful up until it was bought by Thommen, who brought it to much greater heights by speeding up production, producing 13,000 cylinder and lever watches between 1870 and 1890. His son, Alphons Thommen, changed the company name to the Thommen’s Watch Factories Ltd in 1905.
Thommen was one of the early pioneers of interchangeable parts, and thus the company’s factories became increasingly mechanised and automated. By the 1950’s, the Thommen factories in Waldenburg, Langenbruck, and Gelterkinden were producing over 200,000 watches per year under the Revue brand name. In 1961, Thommen, Vulcain, Buser, and Phénix joined together to form the Manufactures d’Horlogerie Suisse SA Réunis SA (MSR). Over the next decade, these firms became increasingly specialised, with Phénix producing movement components, and Vulcain, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, handling final assembly. But they continued to operate as separate businesses under MSR. The long-standing Marvin brand was also soon added.
In 1987, Thommens Uhrenfabrik AG launched the Revue Thommen brand. The company had become dependent on Asian markets during the 1980’s and 1990’s, and so were hard-hit by the financial crisis occurring at the end of the 90’s. In 1999, Revue shuttered its La Chaux-de-Fonds operation and transferred production back to Waldenburg to save on costs. However, the company was bankrupt by July 2000 and the Vulcain and Marvin brands divested.
In 2012, the rights to the name were acquired by Andreas Thommen, Roland Buser and Christopher Bitterl, members of the original watchmaking family, and reorganized as GT Thommen Watch AG (GTWAG). Since 2014, Grovana has sold its existing stock of watches under the Revue Thommen name, and as of 2020, this is the only source of Revue Thommen branded watches.
Servicing and Guarantee
This timepiece has been serviced with full disassembly. There is a 12-month guarantee, subject to the usage and care guidelines. The watch comes with a high-quality black leather strap.
Overview
Case and Strap
- Original small circular case.
- Solid stainless steel.
- Acrylic crystal.
- Stainless steel screw caseback.
- Waterproof style winding crown.
- Dust-proof.
- New black leather 18mm strap.
Dimensions:
- Width w/o crown 34mm
- Width w/ crown 37mm
- Full height 41mm
- Thickness 11.2mm
- Strap width 18mm
Dial and Hands
- Natural cream tone patina
- New non radioactive lume
- Lumed Arabic numerals at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
- Circular indices between numerals
- Arrow style lumed hands
- Seconds subdial above 6
- Signed ‘Revue’ below 12
Movement
- Swiss made movement
- Revue 80 bumper calibre
- Automatic
- Sub seconds
- 19 jewels
- 35+hr power reserve
Testing Results
- Testing duration: 1 week cyclic test.
- Average timekeeping range: 20-40 sec/day.
Servicing and Guarantee
- Fully serviced.
- Mechanics in full working order.
- 12-month guarantee.
- Guarantee Terms and Conditions.
